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Staycations: get a break from the pump
Last summer, the average price of gas was $2.95 per gallon. The national average is now $4.09. With gas prices skyrocketing and no end in sight, people across the county are starting to vacation closer to home?a growing trend termed the staycation.With the Automobile Association of America reporting a significant decrease in driving in Virginia compared to last summer, it appears that many Clarke residents will be spending more money on local entertainment and less at the gas pump.
“We’ve seen an increase in the use of our swimming pool, the recreation center and our camps [this year],” said Shannon Barber, recreation program coordinator at the Clarke County Parks and Recreation. “I personally think it is people wanting to stay closer to home, rather than driving further.”
Carol Marshall, the Parks and Recreation’s Aquatics director, said, “Overall, our attendance has increased, especially on the weekends as opposed to last year. It is people of all ages and on the weekends we tend to have a lot of families coming to enjoy a day.”
So how do you plan a staycation? According to Stephanie Hobbs, vice president of Communications at Yellow Pages, planning a trip is relatively easy. “Use online, use print. Do some planning and save yourself some money,” she said. “If you make Berryville your city of residence on superpages.com, you’ll get a fresh feed daily of events in your area.”
“There are so many things you can do within short reach,” added Hobbs. “Or if you want to travel a little farther you can go to D.C. or Richmond.”
According to Hobbs, the most popular staycation spots are outdoor activities. “A public park that has a small lake?also golf courses. If you still want to travel a little, then a campground is the way to do it.”
While saving money on staycations is a plus, when can Clarke residents expect current gas prices to drop? According to AAA Manager John Townsend, it is still difficult at this time to predict. “It all depends on what happens with the price of crude oil,” he said.
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